MINNEAPOLIS — The misspelled day care at the center of viral outrage over the Somali community’s multibillion-dollar fraud scandal shut down last week, the head of Minnesota’s child services department claimed Monday — at the same time that the owners of the facility put on a dog and pony show for The Post to demonstrate that it was really a working day care and not a front.
Tikki Brown, commissioner of Minnesota’s Department of Children, Youth and Families, told reporters that her staff found no evidence of fraud at any of the day cares highlighted by YouTuber Nick Shirley.
But she claimed that the Quality “Learing” Center had closed.
Apparently the owners of the site — which has gotten up to $4 million in taxpayer funds and racked up dozens of inspection violations — didn’t get the memo.
At least 20 kids were seen entering the Quality “Learing” Center Monday afternoon after being bused in. One employee shouted down The Post’s attempt to ask questions: “Don’t f–king come to this area. Get the f–k out of here,” he said.
The day care says it is open Monday through Thursday from 2 to 10 p.m., and the owner’s son Ibrahim Ali showed up Monday to claim all the allegations were a big misunderstanding.
“Do you go to a coffee shop at 11 p.m. and say, ‘Hey, they’re not working’?” Ali argued to The Post.
But a local resident said the the activity at Quality Learning Center was highly unusual.
“We’ve never seen kids go in there until today. That parking lot is empty all the time, and I was under the impression that place is permanently closed,” the neighbor said.
Here’s the latest on the Minnesota fraud scheme
- Minnesota’s multimillion-dollar day-care fraud reportedly stretches back to 2014, saw scammers leave US with up to $1M a pop in cash
- Shocking unearthed footage shows parents pretending to drop kids off at a Minnesota day care center
- Former Homeland Security agent claims prosecutors ignored Minnesota day care fraud cases: ‘Just evaporated’
- State officials and daycare manager push back on fraud allegations in Minnesota
It wouldn’t be the first time that a day care connected to the Somali community conjured up kids for the cameras.
A shocking video unearthed in a 2018 state fraud case showed Somali parents in Minnesota dropping children off at a day care, checking them in and then leaving with them moments later.
Investigators said the ruse was so that providers could bill the state for full days of care for children who didn’t actually attend.
The alleged phony day care centers also gave kickbacks to parents involved.
Another video obtained by Fox 9 shows a man handing an envelope to a parent with an alleged kickback payment for participating in the scheme.
Minneapolis’ child care facilities have come under scrutiny amid an unfurling scandal involving the North Star State’s taxpayer-funded social services, including day cares, in which operators have allegedly lied about steering millions of dollars in government funds to needy people — money that was never delivered.
Dozens of people — the vast majority Somali immigrants — have been arrested in the fraud scheme, of which $1 billion has been found to be misappropriated so far, including $300 million tied to bogus food handouts, $220 million involving fake autism programs and $302 million tied to housing subsidies that never reached their intended recipients.
